Fences comprised of vertically oriented pickets attached by one or more rails are commonly used. Typically, each rail is attached to multiple pickets with screws. This provides a secure attachment which allows the rail to pivot about the screw axis. Therefore, such a fence does have a limited ability to be used on an incline because the angle between the pickets and the rail may be adjusted. However, the adjustability of the angle is limited by the fact that the screw attaches the rail to the pickets. Further, the screw heads are exposed. This is not aesthetically pleasing.
What is needed is a device which allows the screws to be covered. Such a device does exist. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,385 issued to Zen et al. Although the screw heads are covered in that device, the adjustability of the angle between the pickets and the rail remains limited because the inner rail is directly attached to the pickets. What is also needed is a fence assembly wherein the rail may be quickly and easily installed onto and removed from the pickets. Ideally, the rail and the pickets would not be pivotally connected to each other. This would allow greater adjustability to the angle between the rail and the pickets. Such greater angle adjustability permits the fence assembly to be used on a larger variety of terrains and inclines. Preferably, the pickets would be attached to each other with an inner rail and an outer rail would snap fit over the inner rail. The outer rail should be able to slide relative to the inner rail.